World Twenty20 2012: Sri Lanka need super over to beat New Zealand

Sri Lanka's diving Lahiru Thirimanne is run out by Ross Taylor to set up the super over – but New Zealand lost that by five runs. Photograph: Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters

A tight game was craved in this tournament and we surely got one under the floodlights of Pallekele. Amid great melodrama it was eventually Sri Lanka who took the points. The 20-over match was tied, which meant that there was a super over. In the six-ball eliminator, the Sri Lankans managed to defend their total of 13.

Lasith Malinga, to the ecstatic delight of the home crowd, rose to the occasion. Despite a dropped catch by Kumar Sangakkara behind the stumps, New Zealand could manage only seven runs after Martin Guptill was coolly caught by Tillakaratne Dilshan inches from the boundary rope at long-off from the fifth ball.

Throughout most of the chase of 175 runs, the prospect of a super over seemed remote. Sri Lanka seemed to be in control after a silky innings from Mahela Jayawardene and a sparky one from Dilshan. In the 15th over, when Jeevan Mendis was out, the home side needed another 44, often not too much of a problem in this form of the game. But now the Kiwis refused to let go.

Tim Southee inspired them by bowling full and fast from around the wicket to check the flow of boundaries. Just as important was his arrow-like throw from the cover boundary to run out Dilshan for 76. Even so, just one run was needed to win the game from the last ball.

Lahiru Thirrimane was on strike and had to hare for the bowler's end having failed to make contact. James Franklin hurled the ball to the non-striker's end. There Ross Taylor failed to take it cleanly and looked disconsolate and started to shake hands with umpires and opposition players. But a bail had been removed.

Countless replays from every possible angle were studied and third umpire Steve Davis decided that the ball ricocheting off Taylor's hand had removed those bails. So Thirrimane was run out and the match was tied.

So here at last was a helter-skelter conclusion to a fine match. It was an unforgettable experience – not for all the right reasons – for Akila Dananjaya, the Sri Lankan "mystery" spinner, who was catapulted into the squad after impressing Mahela Jayawardene in the nets a few months ago. Dananjaya, a will-o'-the-wisp 18 year old from the southern suburbs of Colombo, was given his international debut.

Dananjaya's third ball was driven by Martin Guptill straight into the hands of long-off; no problems with this international cricket. But he was less lucky with his 13th delivery. This time Rob Nicol cracked a straight drive with such power that the ball burst through the hands of Dananjaya before hitting the young man on the left cheek.

Out came the physio amid much concern, but after a delay – a rare justified one in this tournament – Dananjaya pluckily completed his over without mishap before leaving the field. He returned soon after to finish his spell and he gained some sort of revenge by having Nicol caught at deep midwicket.

Nicol had batted well, cracking three sixes in one over from Ajantha Mendis. So too had Guptill and Brendon McCullum, who against the odds would have two knocks on a balmy, chaotic evening.